Solution Manager 7.1

A new tool in Solution Manager 7.1 focuses on data integrity and security (Screenshot: SAP)

Heightened security threats to IT systems, frequent legal changes, and the need to ensure the flawless performance of business processes make it increasingly important for businesses to keep all their IT systems up-to-date. But without an established process it can be a time-consuming challenge. To help streamline the process, SAP recently released the new 7.1 version of its SAP Solution Manager application management solution.

With new and enhanced tools, applications, and services, the solution helps customers establish an automated and systematic approach to updating their SAP software regularly and maintain the security configuration of their SAP landscapes – whether they do it themselves or outsource it.

SAP Solution Manager 7.1 includes a new tool called System Recommendations, which automatically provides a tailored recommendation of critical SAP Notes and patches for ABAP- as well as Java-based SAP systems. Based on the actual status of the system and already implemented notes, the recommendations include security notes, performance-relevant notes, Java patches, legal change notes, high priority “HotNews,” as well as general SAP Notes.

The new System Recommendations tool automatically suggests SAP Notes and patches (screenshot: SAP)

Monitor the implementation

Change control management is facilitated through the Configuration Validation application, which can be used to monitor the security configuration of SAP systems. Enhanced to support efficient monitoring of the implementation status of SAP security notes and patches, it allows users to compare the current values of a system’s configuration items against a defined company security baseline to ensure the desired level of IT compliance. In addition, Configuration Validation is now able to monitor the existence of users with defined critical authorizations.

The solution also uses information provided by Configuration Validation to provide plug-ins that allow the creation of individual management dashboards for high-level monitoring of IT security compliance for a defined set of controls group of systems.

Users can even create a dashboard for high-level monitoring of IT security (Screenshot: SAP)

Analyze and improve security

Finally, the SAP Security Optimization Service within SAP Solution Manager 7.1 has been expanded with a completely automated self-service in addition to the existing remote and onsite services. SAP Security Optimization Service is designed to analyze and improve the security of ABAP systems by identifying potential security weaknesses and providing recommendations on how to improve the system’s security. With the new automated Guided Self Service, customers select the system they want to analyze and the rest is done automatically in the background with no additional costs involved.

Customers are encouraged to contact their dedicated resources in the SAP Active Global Support organization with any questions.